The debate on whether recent floods were caused by global warming is a
distraction from 'the things we already know for certain', according to
experts

Climate change is not the main cause of floods, scientists have suggested.

The debate on whether recent floods were caused by global warming is a distraction from “the things we already know for certain”, according to research.

Any links between climate change and flooding are “highly complex” and experts have struggled to make a case for the theory, a study has said, whereas human activity such as building on floodplains is known to make flooding worse.

The research, published in the Hydrological Sciences Journal, said: "There is such a furore of concern about the linkage between greenhouse forcing and floods that it causes society to lose focus on the things we already know for certain about floods and how to mitigate and adapt to them.

"Blaming climate change for flood losses makes flood losses a global issue that appears to be out of the control of regional or national institutions."

The report said the scientific community needed to emphasize that the problem of flood losses was mostly about what humans do on or to the landscape and, that will be the case for decades to come.

“The linkages between enhanced greenhouse forcing and flood phenomena are highly complex and it has not been possible to describe the connections well, either by empirical analysis or by the use of models,” the study said.

The scientists added: “It is clear that current trends in human activity on the landscape continue to cause an increase in flood damages.

“Decreasing or reversing this trend will require substantial attention from governments, private citizens, scientists and engineers, and the actions needed to accomplish this are largely the same regardless of the nature of the greenhouse gas-flood linkage.”